Something Better
by VictoriaSW
Summary: When Lilly had been with other people, they seemed to be drunk and knew what the next morning would be like - awkward and rushed. But Carley wasn't drunk. Not even a little. (AU {No ZA}, CarLilly.)
1. Chapter 1

**I had an idea...and then I did a thing. Yup. I ship CarLilly hard, and I noticed a lack of it on this site, so I decided to fix it! I have some drabbles in mind as well. Also, if you are, ya know, against this for some reason, this is definitely not your territory. :l **

**Anyways, this was very fun for me to write! It pretty much did it itself, festering inside my brain and annoying me until I actually started typing it. This particular piece of writing was very demanding (mostly because when I think it's Lilly's voice inside my head).**

**Lilly: Hey! *glares***

**I mean, it was very pleasant and nice all the time. *whispers* Please don't kill me!**

**Yeah, they are a little OOC. Sorry 'bout that! But I figured in and AU Lilly would be more pleasant (plus, drunk Lilly is happy {and stubborn} Lilly!). Carley is more like me, since most of it is from her POV. **

**Alright, I've been boring you long enough (unless if you guys don't read this, which I wouldn't blame you ;D).**

**I don't own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. :C**

**...**

Carley swung open the door to her apartment, kicking it closed with her foot. She fell onto her couch in a heap, a frustrated groan escaping her lips. She had been at work _all fucking day_. Her bitch of a boss made her do a report on some murder case, and if that wasn't enough, she hung around Carley's shoulders all day, evaluating everything she did, every internet search, every phone call. Carley didn't even get to go on the air, her boss saying it was_ "to show her being a reporter was more than being pretty for a camera"_. That bitch. Now it was almost one in the morning, and she had _just_ gotten home.

Carley sat up on her couch and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

She needed a beer.

She stood up and headed for the kitchen. Being an apartment, the kitchen was small, barely big enough for the fridge and the oven with a small counter between. Her friends said it fit her, although she didn't really see why.

She grabbed the handle to the fridge and pulled the door open. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the light. When they did, she scanned the shelves.

_Half a carton of eggs, barely any milk, several apples, wilted-looking lettuce, empty bottle of coffee creamer, leftover spaghetti from god-knows-when, fancy cheese I got after my promotion that I should probably throw out..._

_...no beer._

Carley gave another angry sigh. All of the stores close by had probably closed hours ago, and there was no way she was going far away just for a six-pack of beer.

Carley rubbed the back of her neck. There was a pub down the street...but Carley had never really been one for going out to get a drink. In fact, she didn't drink that often, and most of the time it was for special occasions (or stressful occasions). Well, maybe a little more often than that on really bad days. But being around a bunch of drunk people really wasn't her scene.

But there was really no other option. Carley closed the fridge and walked into her bedroom, which she thought was very appropriately named because of the fact she could only fit her bed in there. She reached under her bed, searching for something more casual to wear than her work clothes; she kept all of her clothes under the bed in neat piles.

She picked out a green T-shirt and a pair of jeans she had owned for years. Nobody would really notice that she looked like she just rolled out of bed, right?

She paused a moment. It would be chilly outside; it was the middle of the night. She grabbed her purple coat and pulled it on. She left her room after grabbing her wallet and cellphone, then hurried out the door, but still made sure she locked it behind her and shoved the keys into her pants pocket.

When the chilly night air hit her, she was glad she was smart enough to bring a coat. Luckily, the pub was close and she didn't have to use her car (she might not have been able to drive to back, anyway). The walk was nice and calmed her down quite a bit. She was still dreading tomorrow, though, and could still definitely use a drink.

The place was lit up and she could hear muffled music even though she wasn't even inside. No loud shouting or yelling was a good sign - she wasn't in the mood to deal with anything like that. She reached for the handle of one of the glass double doors and tugged it open. A small bell sounded overhead as she stepped inside. A soft, warm glow radiated from the lights in the room. Half of the large pub was filled with booths and tables where they sold food in the daytime. The other half was the bar, which was where Carley found herself heading towards. She took a seat on one of the empty barstools, which wasn't hard to find. There were only a few people actually at the bar; maybe four, Carley guessed from a first glance. On the other side of the room, there was a group of friends idly chattering at one of the booths.

Carley watched the bartender as he served a few other people. She mentally willed him to get closer so she could order her beer, finish it quickly and leave. She knew she should go home soon to get some rest, but she wasn't all that tired. She had several cups of coffee at work to keep herself alert so she could live up to her boss' impossible expectations. Nevertheless, she was still impatient to get back to her apartment.

Soon enough - although it seemed like forever to Carley - she got a chance to order. The bartender, who was a man in his twenties with brown hair and the beginnings of a mustache, gave her a mug of beer. She immediately took a sip, then paid him in cash and gave him a tip. She expected him to leave, but he didn't.

"Have you been here before? I don't recognize you," he asked in a slight accent, leaning on the counter.

Carley looked up from her beer, "I don't usually go to pubs," she answered simply, lifting her drink to her lips again. She really wasn't in the mood for talking.

The man winked, "Too bad. I'd like to see you around here more often."

Carley was shocked. Was he..._flirting_ with her? She's only had one boyfriend before, and that had not ended well at all. It had only lasted a month, and she had felt almost nothing for him. She dumped him. She hadn't dated since. In fact, she didn't really think about dating anymore. Something about the men she met that showed any interest in her just didn't feel right.

Her expression must have displayed her feelings because the bartender sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I've been trying to see what works on women because this girl I work with - she's off tonight - and I...I _really_ like her a lot," he scratched the back of his neck, flushed with embarressment, "Any suggestions?"

"Um...try doing nice things for her? That should work. They don't have to be really romantic, either. Just something she'll notice," Carley suggested.

The bartender nodded, "Thanks. I have been asking almost every girl who comes in here if they have any suggestions for me. Most of them give really sappy suggestions, like huge romantic gestures that I probably just couldn't do, and most guys say pervy shit. I'm glad I was able to find a girl with some experience picking up women."

At this, Carley's eyes widened and she raised an eyebrow. Did he think she was a lesbian?

Catching Carley's expression again, that bartender stammered, "I mean..uh...I well, just assumed that you were..."

Carley laughed gently at how he was stuttering.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "And my name's Luke, by the way."

"Nothing to be sorry for," Carley answered, "And I'm Carley."

A shout came from the other end of the bar, so Luke left to take the order of a man with a mustache and in a cap. Carley drank some more of her beer. It was still almost halfway full. Checking her watch that she forgot to take off when she was at home, she say it was only 1:30. She'd been expecting it be much later.

She was interrupted when a woman sat down beside her. She looked up from her watch, startled.

The woman had dark brown hair that went down to her chest. Her eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, but had dark circles underneath them from unrest. She wore a worn black jacket over a clean white shirt. Her skin was slightly tan but looked naturally pale. Her expression was one of extreme fatigue, but she still managed to looked ticked off at the same time.

"Hey Lilly. The regular?" Luke had finished taking the other man's order and had come back when he heard the bell above the door ring, which Carley had not noticed.

Lilly ran a hand through her hair, "Yes. And run a tab," she answered aggressively.

Carley realized that she had been staring, so she returned her attention to her beer. She took a sip awkwardly, accidentally spilling some onto her jacket.

"Goddamnit," she hissed under her breath, setting down her beer.

_Great, _Carley thought sarcastically, _Just fucking great._

Carley unzipped her jacket and slipped it off of her shoulders. She was thankful she was wearing a good T-shirt underneath.

She threw her jacket at her feet. She didn't really have anywhere else to put it.

She took another sip of beer, less shaky this time.

"Here ya go Lilly," Luke said after he came back with a crystal glass filled with a spicy looking redish-brown liquor and a few ice cubes.

Lilly nodded and grabbed the drink almost the second Luke set it down on the table. She took a long sip and set it back down, then let out a short sigh.

Carley couldn't stand sitting right next to a person and not talking to them. She wouldn't want to be rude.

"So, long day?" she asked stiffly, assuming by Lilly's tired expression.

Lilly seemed surprised that someone she didn't know would talk to her. She turned her head and looked at Carley, "Yeah. I work with a bunch of assholes."

Carley sighed, "Me too," she answered, rubbing her forehead.

They sat in silence for a long moment.

"So, uh...where do you work?" Carley asked thoughtfully.

"Robins Air Force Base," Lilly answered after another sip of her drink.

Carley smiled, "Nice," she approved, "I get to work the demeaning job of being a reporter with a stuck-up bitch as a boss," she added with a scowl. The mere thought of her boss annoyed her.

"Compared to how people treat me at _my_ job, you've got it easy," Lilly said.

Carley laughed, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. On my first day, my boss spilled hot coffee all over me and didn't even apologize. She told_ me _that_ I _should watch where I was going."

Lilly chuckled, "If I didn't have experience first-hand, I'd think people that arrogant didn't exist."

Carley grinned, nodding in agreement, "I'm Carley, by the way," she added, holding out a hand.

"Lilly."

They shook hands. Carley was thrilled. Outside of work, her only friends were Christa, Omid, Molly and Lee, and most of the time Carley was too busy to hang out with them. They lived almost twenty minutes away and she really only saw them when they dropped by for a surprise visit. Carley really needed somebody to be close by, so whenever she had a bad day like this one, she wouldn't have to go to a bar for comfort.

...

Lilly and Carley chatted for a while. Lilly had some quite interesting stories to tell. She told Carley this story about how she tried to sneak out of her parent's house when she was a teenager by climbing out her window but forgot that she lived in a two-story house that had no way down. She fell out of the window and broke her leg and arm. Carley had felt bad about laughing, but...it's just so damn funny how someone can forget like that. Lilly had ordered a couple (several) more drinks and her speech was beginning to slur together. Carley had finished her beer a while ago, but didn't order anything after that.

Lilly suddenly stood up from her barstool and stalked across the room.

"Lilly?" Carley called after her.

"Jus' a second!" Lilly called back. She was heading towards Luke, who was polishing the tables. When she got to him, she whispered something in his ear determindly. Luke whispered something back. This exchange lasted for a few moments.

Carley was about to go over to see what they were talking about or take Lilly away from him, but Lilly was back by her side before she knew it.

"What was _that_ about?" Carley asked curiously, but still in a serious tone.

Lilly paused a moment, "Where d' you live?" she changed the subject abruptly.

Carley cocked her head slightly to the side, "Down the street. Why?"

A smirk grew on Lilly's face, "No reason."

Before Carley could respond, Lilly stood back up.

"D' ya wanna pretend to be bartenders? Luke's my friend, an' I think he'll let us," Lilly slurred.

_Okay, _Carley thought, _she is definitely drunk. _

"Lilly, you're drunk. Should probably get you home," Carley offered responsibly. Damnit, she felt like she was one of those people in those guidance videos her teachers made her watch when she was a teenager. She hated those.

"Oh come _on_, shorty. You're no fun," Lilly complained, drawling out the word 'fun'.

"I'm serious. We shou-" Carley was interupted by Lilly grabbing her arm and dragging her out of her seat.

"LILLY!" Carley shouted, pulling on the other woman's arm. Lilly was much stronger than Carley was, so it really had no effect. But Carley knew that Lilly really needed to be home right now, so she wouldn't get hurt or do something stupid. Carley firmly planted her heels.

"Lilly, stop. We can't go behind the bar. Plus, you probably need to get home."  
Lilly gave a small snort, "Come _on_. I wanna see yu' pour some drinks."

Carley sighed. She still wanted to hang out with the woman, but Lilly needed to get home before she started throwing up or does something she'd regret.

"No. You come on. Did you bring your car? I could drop you off at your house," Carley offered.

Lilly still held Carley's arm, her grip tight. She shook her head.

"But I don't want to!" she whined.

Carley was fed up. Lilly was acting like a child. Carley really didn't want to do this, but she knew that words were not going to get into Lilly's head at this point of drunkeness.

Carley ripped her arm out of Lilly's grasp, and slapped her across the face.

Lilly blinked, and brought a hand up to rub her cheek where Carley had slapped her. The mark was already red. Carley felt a guilt spread through her body. She hadn't wanted to slap her that hard; she just wanted her to listen.

Lilly looked down, as if to cower, but instead leaned forward, cupped Carley's cheek, and...kissed her. Carley stood there stunned for a moment, Lilly's soft lips pressed against hers and the taste of alcohol not completely covering her sweet breath. Lilly had paused, probably nervous about what Carley would think. Lilly pulled away a few moments later.

Did Lilly really just...kiss her?

A smile unknowingly etched onto Carley's face.

_Yeah, she did. _

And, although it had come as a shock to her, Carley had actually enjoyed it. A lot. She was still standing there stunned like an idiot staring at Lilly's face.

Lilly grumbled an apology.

Carley realized she still had that stupid grin, so she wiped it off, "It's okay," she said to Lilly, "But let's get out of here."

Lilly was blushing, "Yeah, that's a good idea."

Lilly's voice sounded clearer than it had before, which was a good thing. But she was still obviously drunk by the way her steps faltered, so Carley wrapped her arm around her waist to support her. She used one arm to push the door open.

The night air would've been cold, but being so close to Lilly definitely solved that problem for Carley.

Lilly sighed, her cheeks still pink from earlier, "Carley, I'm sorry for-"

She was interupted when Carley pulled Lilly's head down so their eyes were level.

"For what?" she asked in a breath, and pulled her lips to Lilly's.

...

**I realize now that I pretty much mixed the world of How I Met Your Mother and The Walking Dead. Well, I love both of those shows, and it still makes sense even if you haven't watched HIMYM. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry if it seemed that Lilly was being horrible last chapter! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it. Lilly is actually my third favorite character (after Clemmy and Carley). She was drunk. She's a happy/mean drunk?! I don't even know...**

**So yep. C: You guys can guess what happened between last chapter and this one. ;D I wanted to keep this rated T, so it's not included (although I hover pretty close).**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**(I don't own The Walking Dead or its characters. D:)**

**...**

Carley yawned and gripped her sheet in her fist, her eyes still closed from sleep. She felt relaxed - more than she'd felt in a long time. She rubbed her wrists, which were sore for some reason.

That's when the memory of last night came rushing back to her.

Kissing Lilly in the parking lot, Lilly and Carley pretty much in a dead-out sprint to get to Carley's apartment, trying to open the door when Carley was almost pinned against it, Lilly throwing her onto the bed...

why her wrists hurt.

Carley's eyes instantly snapped open. She hadn't done anything like that before. But to her, it was definitely a welcome change.

Carley realized that her head was no longer tucked under Lilly's chin with their legs intertwined like she fell asleep. In fact, Lilly was nowhere to be seen. She sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. Maybe it was just a dream? Maybe she didn't just have one beer when she went to the pub like she thought.

But, noticing that she was completely naked, she decided that theory was flawed.

She got out of bed and pulled on some underwear, sweatpants and a shirt she found lying on the floor. Probably the same shirt she wore yesterday, but she didn't really care.

She pushed open the door gently. As she did, a sizzling sound greeted her ears, along with the scent of frying meat. Bacon?

She peeked her head around the corner of the kitchen to see Lilly cooking bacon - in only her underwear and a T-shirt.

Carley drank in the sight of Lilly's long legs. Her flicked up and down, remembering last night with crystal clarity.

She didn't notice Lilly had turned around.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," she joked, her eyes weary with a hand on her head, and turned back to the stove.

Carley opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't get the words to form. She blushed, and entered the room fully.

She chuckled, noting that the small counter in the kitchen was filled with greasy breakfast foods, gravy, bread smothered in honey, and other hangover "remedies" that usually never work.

"Hung over?" Carley asked with a smirk, placing her hand on her hip.

Lilly flipped a piece of bacon expertly with a spatula, "How'd you guess?" she mumbled. She looked miserable, her eyes slightly red and her face flushed. Adorable, but still.

"It was pretty obvious. But I'd expect you would sleep in."

"I did," Lilly answered, with a gesture of her head towards the clock on the oven.

Carley glanced at the clock, which read 12:43 in the afternoon.

"Oh SHIT!" she exclaimed, her fists in her hair, "I'm late for work!"

Lilly paused a moment, clicking her tongue, "Then call in sick," she suggested simply, as if it were obvious, and returned her attention to the stove.

"I've never called in sick before," Carley sighed, "But, you're right. I hate my boss and she'd probably fire me if I came in late without a good reason."

Lilly nodded turning back towards Carley, "I'm always right."

Carley started heading back towards the bedroom. She had brought her cellphone with her last night and put in her jacket's pocket, which she expected to be where she had found the rest of her clothes. But then she remembered.

She spilled beer on it and left it in the pub...

_fuck_.

Her wallet was in there too. How could she have forgotten?

Well, remembering wasn't exactly easy when you have a beautiful woman practically ripping of your clothes.

Carley sighed; she had to go back.

Finishing her path to her room, she slipped on her tennis shoes without bothering to put on socks or tie them. She got to her feet and headed for the door.

"Forgot my phone in my jacket, going to go get it. See you soon - I'll be right back," her sentence rushed from her mouth when she was already halfway through the door. She was in too much of a hurry to see Lilly's doubtful frown.

...

Carley hurried down the street. She was obviously not dressed what would be considered normal at all. She mentally scolded herself for not at least wearing jeans instead of sweats.

But, lucky for her that she lived on a small street, there was only one other person - a tired-looking mom pushing a stroller on the opposite sidewalk , and she didn't even seem to be paying attention to her surroundings.

Carley wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Although it was almost one in the afternoon, the air was still slightly chilly. It was mid-fall, and it didn't help that Carley wasn't in warm clothes.

When she finally came to the pub door, she pulled it open with one arm. The bell above the door rang out. Since it was the day, a few people were sitting at the booths and tables eating lunch. A few heads turned for a moment at the sound of the bell, but the returned to their former tasks after a second.

Thank god nobody found it awkward that she was wearing crappy clothes.

Carley turned towards the bar to see a woman with very short, dusty brown hair cleaning the counter tops.

"Hey," Carley started shyly, getting the woman's attention, "I, uhm, left my jacket here last night and I was wondering if it was still here."

"LUKE!" the woman turned around and shouted, waiting until a worn-out looking Luke was in the room to speak again, more quietly this time, "You were working last night. Did you find a jacket?"

Luke blinked and looked at the woman for a moment, and then glanced at Carley. His eyes flashed with recognition and he gave a small smirk.

"Yeah. A purple one, right?" Luke asked, almost yawning. His brown hair was tousled and restless. It was obvious he had stayed up all night, probably tending the bar.

Carley nodded, rubbing her elbow nervously. She hoped some creep hadn't checked the pockets for things and taken her wallet and phone.

Luke disappeared back into the room behind the bar. He emerged a few moments later, Carley's jacket in hand.

The woman turned around and entered the room that Luke had been in, obviously a bit frustrated that she didn't have something better to do with her time. Luke's eyes trailed after her. He paused a moment before snapping his attention back to the task at hand.

"So," Luke smirked knowingly through his weary eyes, "anything...happen? After you left the bar last night? With Lilly?"

Carley felt her face heat immediately, but she tried to hide it, "Well," she started, her voice clotted, "I...no, I just drove her back to her house," she lied. She'd always been a truly terrible liar.

Luke leaned on both elbows over the counter with his chin resting on his palms (jacket still in hand), "_Sure_," his voice was heavily laced with sarcasm, "I'm sure that's _exactly _what happened, and the hickey on your neck has nothing to do with it."

Carley choked on a breath.

_Of course, _she mentally smacked her forehead, _I didn't even check the mirror before I left..._

"I take your silence as a confession," Luke teased, holding the jacket in front of him where Carley could reach, "Here. Tell Lilly I said 'hi'."

Carley snatched the jacket out of Luke's hand, giving him a look that obviously read as '_you're an ass_', only half kidding. She checked the pockets, sighing in relief as her fingers made contact with the smooth, sturdy plastic of her phone and the rough surface of her cloth wallet. She pivoted around, starting towards the door.

As Carley made her way towards the glass doors, she could hear footsteps from the back room - the woman who was cleaning the counters earlier. They were small and quick, and she stopped shortly, Carley inferred next to Luke.

She continued to walk towards the doors as quiet conversation floated from behind her.

"Another one?" the woman asked Luke, oblivious that Carley could still hear her.

"Yeah," Luke answered simply, his voice surprised but still next to silent, "But I think L-"

His sentence was drowned out for Carley as she pushed the door open with one arm, the bell above the door ringing feebly, and stepped out onto the cracked sidewalk.

Whatever they were talking about, she chose not to listen.

...

"I already said, I'm not feeling well enough to come into work today," Carley fake-sniffed as she pinned her phone to her ear between her head and her shoulder, laying on her couch.

The irritating voice of her boss sounded from the other end of the line.

"Fine, but you better not expect payment or any kind of promotion in the near future," it snapped angrily. The phone gave a dull click as it was hung up ubruptly.

Carley sighed and tossed her phone onto the coffee table next to where she was sitting. It was surprisingly clean, considering Carley's bad straightening-up habits. Where it would normally be cluttered with papers, only one, crisp note remained.

Carley had already read it, but she looked over it again.

_Hey Carley,_

_Went to work._

_I put the leftover bacon I bought in the fridge._

_So, yeah. _

_~Lilly_

Carley had reviewed and analyzed the note several times over. Despite the neat handwriting, there were smudge marks from an eraser next to the last words.

Carley was painfully curious as to what they had said.

But, honestly, a part of her didn't want to know.

...

She hadn't planned on coming back.

Lilly sat at her desk, tracing circles onto the wooden top of her desk with a finger.

It's not that she didn't want to. She really did. But her dad...her dad was homophobic. He had no idea that his "perfect" only daughter was a lesbian, and Lilly tried to keep it that way. She hadn't had an actual girlfriend since she was a teenager, and that ended after she fell out of her window while trying to sneak out to meet her.

Lilly's thoughts drifted back to the night before as she scratched at her desk absentmindedly with a nail.

She'd done stuff like this before, but this was different. Most of the time, somebody was gone before the other woke up and it was the other woman, and not Lilly, more than she would like to admit.

Although she had been drunk, the memories swirled back mixed up and out of order. But one thing really stood out.

When Lilly had been with other people, they seemed to be drunk and knew what the next morning would be like - awkward and rushed.

But Carley wasn't drunk. Not even a little.

Lilly could tell, by the way Carley's kind brown eyes were clear instead of cloudy and unfocused. How she still had a calm and friendly way about her when others had been awkward and wanted to leave first thing.

She couldn't get Carley out of her head. Her looks didn't help.

Lilly could remember vividly how her name sounded out of Carley's lips, how her soft skin felt pressed against-

"CAUL!"

Lilly raised her head instantly and quickly as she heard the gravelly voice of one of her co-workers. Although they didn't treat her like she was on the same level, because she was, as they said, "just a secretary". Assholes.

"What, Bill?" Lilly snapped.

Bill, a man in his mid-forties with graying hair and an aged face, grimaced.

"I told you to file these," he growled (although whenever he talked it sounded like a growl, so that wasn't much of a change), and gestured angrily at a stack of papers, "and did you do it? No. You aren't useful for anything."

"Do I look like I'm in the mood to be yelled at?" Lilly hissed, but picked up the papers anyway.

Bill snorted, "Just get those fucking papers filed."

Lilly made it a point to give him the death glare as he walked away. She sighed, and started sorting the papers alphabetically so she could place them in the correct folders.

She definitely wanted another job, but that wasn't really an option right now. She needed the money to pay the rent on her house.

A voice sounded behind Lilly.

"Bill can really be an ass," Mark said, standing casually by Lilly's desk.

Mark was Lilly's only friend at work, and she was really grateful to him. He was really kind, and cool with who she was. Others were...not quite so understanding.

Lilly turned in her swivel chair, after placing the contracts and papers in the correct order.

"Tell me about it," she grumbled.

Mark smiled, "You do seem a little out of it today, though. What's on your mind?" he asked.

Lilly paused. Although she'd shared her stories with Mark before, she felt oddly reluctant. She sighed, settling against words.

Mark seemed concerned, "Are you okay?"

"...No," Lilly admitted. Her mind felt cramped and conflicted, and she really needed some time to think and not feel pressured.

"Do you need to take a personal day? You haven't had one in forever, and I'm sure you could get one," Mark suggested, "And if not, I could probably cover for you, tell them you threw up or something," he added amusedly.

Lilly grinned, and idea forming in her mind, "You know what? You're right. Fuck it. I'm going to take a personal day."

She got out of her chair and started toward the door.

_I'll call in later. I've got more important things to do._

"Thanks Mark!" she called over her shoulder as she opened the door forcefully.

She definitely had some better things to do. And this time, she didn't care about what her dad would think.

...

Carley really didn't know what to do. She hadn't had any days off unless if she really needed them to do something, and now she had nothing left to do. She almost wished she had gone into work, but that would raise suspicion and she was on her boss' last nerve.

She'd already cleaned and straightened her apartment, which didn't take a long time since it was pretty small. Mentioned earlier, she hated cleaning, but what else was there to do? She flipped through the channels on her TV, but nothing good was on.

Great.

She could go somewhere, but she had nowhere to go. Her best friends Christa and Omid were on their yearly vacation to where they had their honeymoon, and she hadn't heard from her other two best friends Lee and Molly for a while. It seemed that she was waiting for something, but she didn't know what.

Again, great.

She paced around the room in circles; a habit she picked up when she was still in school. Usually it meant she was stressed or worried. Or both.

She didn't know how much time has passed when there was a soft rapping at her door.

Her heart leaped to her throat. She walked across the room quickly, and sucked in a breath before she pulled the door open. When she did, it felt like a weight being lifted of her chest. She couldn't resist a smile.

"Hi Lilly."

Lilly stood outside of the door, dressed in a cute, simple gray sweater and some jeans with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Hey," Lilly greeted, but paused a little awkwardly as her cheeks grew the slightest bit more pink. Despite this, her eyes hardened a bit with determination as she brought her hands in front of her. In one hand, she held a thin movie case, "I rented a movie and I thought we could watch it."

Carley smirked, "Let me see it," she gently pulled the movie out of Lilly's hands, not breaking eye contact. She really didn't care what movie it was, but Lilly's tense fidgeting was adorable.

She looked down for half a second to look at the movie. On the cover was the face of a rotting corpse, but it's eyes were open and alert.

She looked back up at Lilly, who seemed to be concealing nervousness.

"I love horror movies," she smiled widely, "Come in."

Lilly, seeming to have regained her normally confident attitude, entered. She seemed relieved as she sat down on the couch and leaned back into a relaxed position.

Carley crossed the room to her TV and opened the case with a small click. She removed the disc gingerly and inserted it into her DVD player, and pressed the power button on her TV remote. The screen brightened to the main title page of the movie where you select play.

Noting that all the lights were still on, Carley decided it wasn't very fitting with a gory, bloody, R-rated zombie movie. She flipped the lights off and was about to joined Lilly on the couch with a satisfied sigh. She lifted the remote and pressed play.

...

"For someone who says she likes horror movies, you get really scared."

"Shut up."

They were almost an hour into the movie. They had subconsciously scooted towards each other and Carley was now pressed close into Lilly's side, shielding her face with Lilly's shirt.

"Come on, Car. It's just a movie."

Carley sat up, "It's nightmares waiting to happen, is what it is," she replied indignantly. Almost as if to prove a point, a zombie in the movie sank it's teeth into a man's arm, which started spurting blood.

Lilly rolled her eyes, amused, as Carley started trembling and scooted even closer to her.

Carley had her moment of realization, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" she accused.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," Lilly replied, in such a tone that she obviously did.

Carley couldn't contain a small fit of laughter, "You're evil, you know that?" she said sarcastically.

Lilly chuckled, and gently stroked Carley's hair out of her face, "Yeah."

...

Lilly continued playing with Carley's silky brown hair as she watched the movie. It was almost over now, and almost every character had died except for two. A man and his daughter, and the father was bitten. Lilly hadn't been paying much attention to the movie, but it didn't really matter. In the end, she almost actually started crying as the father died and his little girl was left by herself - and Lilly was never an emotional person.

The credits started rolling through, and Lilly looked down at Carley, who'd pretty quiet for a while after laying her head on Lilly's lap, to say something. Then she realized that Carley's eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and calm; she was asleep. Lilly smiled.

This was definitely something better.

**...**

**So what do you guys think of a third chapter? I have one planned. So far, though, this is only a two-shot.**


	3. Just A Note c:

**Alright guys, instead of doing just a singular third chapter, I've decided that after this point I will do a series of short one-shots following Carley and Lilly throughout their relationship in this AU! I have quite a few different ones planned, but the first one I have done is going to be published in a moment. Thanks to you readers, and I hope you enjoy reading!**


	4. Lilly Ellen Caul

**Yeah...short. Sorry. I just thought it would be cute if Carley called Lilly an embarrassing nickname for a little while. XD**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Lilly held the box's edge with a tight grip. She was thankful that this was the last box she had to haul up into Carley's apartment, because it was on the third floor and Lilly had a grudge with stairs and heavy boxes. She stepped through the door to find Carley, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, holding an old-looking piece of paper. She had one hand clasped over her mouth, her back twitching and eyes welling up because she was laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?" Lilly asked and she sat herself down next to her girlfriend with her legs stretched straight in front of her. She had to crane her neck slightly to see what the paper was that was clutched in Carley's fingers. It was slightly crinkled and worn, but still brightly colored with stars and other childish shapes. Printed in the middle in a curly font was:

Mrs. Mitchell's First Grade Class:

Lilly Ellen Caul

Lilly wasn't sure why she still had that; it was probably tucked in the bottom on the box judging by how the other papers and small things that used to be in there were now scattered across the floor. That was beside the point, though.

"Your middle name is Ellen?" Carley managed to choke out through her laughter. Her voice was heavy with amusement, and her eyes shone.

Lilly slowly puckered her lips and raised an eyebrow, "Yeah..."

"You don't really look like an Ellen to me, Lil," Carley commented and poked Lilly's nose affectionately with her index finger. Then her smile brightened, "Can I call you Ellie?"

Oh please, no.

"No," Lilly tried to maintain a straight face and she shook her head.

"Whatever, Ellie."


	5. The Dress

**I know it's another short one...It's easier for me to write the short chapters, I guess. So this one is short and a little lusty...so yep! In the next one, Lilly's legs are in trouble...**

**Lilly: What the hell are you going to do to me?!**

**Me: NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL. *whispers* It's Carley's fault with the chocolate. **

**Carley: Hey!**

**Lilly: WHAT?!**

**So yeah, you guys will have to wait to understand what I'm talking about. XD I feel a little insane today...anyways, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"You are _not_ going to make me wear that," Lilly gazed at the skimpy black dress with a look of disbelief, frowning.

Carley crossed her arms over chest, trying not to let the smile fighting below the surface get through, "After I bought this for you? You're not even going to try it on?" she tried to sound disappointed, but she was actually quite amused. But she really, _really_ did want to see Lilly in that dress. She had purposefully bought the shortest dress she could find, knowing that would show off Lilly's flawless legs. Also, that strapless top would show off quite a bit of Lilly's chest, which was an added plus.

Lilly was standing at the foot of their bed, which was where the dress lay spread out on top of the red covers. Carley was sitting on the edge of the bed, cross-legged with her hands on her knees.

"Nope," Lilly responded simply, flopping down on the bed beside Carley. She sighed comfortably, lying on her back.

But Carley was not going to leave this room without seeing Lilly in that dress.

"How about..." she started, but then flipped over and moved her knees and each side of Lilly's hips, pinning her shoulders with her hands. Lilly gave a small 'oomph' of surprise and struggled slightly. Carley had complete control, having Lilly restrained. Lilly blushed immediately, not used to being in this position.

"How about you put on that dress?" Carley suggested again, in a throaty voice. Whenever Lilly used that voice on _her_, it was almost hypnotic.

Lilly's dark brown eyes darkened a little with lust as she placed her hand firmly on Carley's own hip. Fire spread from that area to every nerve ending in Carley's body, her cheeks flushing like mad.

"How about I wear nothing at all?"

Lilly with that damn hypnotic voice...there was no way Carley could resist.

"Even better."


	6. It's Okay

**Like I said. XD Anyways, sexy chapter again. I drop some very not subtle hints at how Lilly and Carley spend most of their extra time *hint hint, wink wink*. Longer that the other chapters, but still pretty short. :P**

* * *

Carley smirked, "You know, Lilly, I had the strangest dream last night."

She was watching Lilly sketch in her notebook. The pages were bent on the edges and pencil lead smudged across the top of the page around her subject of focus. She was really good, having drawn many different landscapes, flower vases, some _Titanic_ inspired drawings that Carley was more than happy to oblige with helping out with, and various other things. Lilly was really creative, and they hung up a few of her more valued drawings in their room on the wall.

"Hmm?" Lilly made a noise distractedly that could be interperated as a question. She arched her hand and skillfully added a few details to the eye she was revealing on the blank paper.

"It involves you and melted chocolate, in case you were wondering," Carley said with motive, picking at her nail as if it really didn't matter. That usually got to Lilly, and she knew it.

She was definitely hoping to make that dream a reality.

Lilly smiled and closed her notebook, setting her pencil aside.

"Lucky I bought chocolate yesterday."

* * *

Turns out, when you're melting chocolate, you should always check the temperature before you let your girlfriend pour it on your thighs.

"Shit, shit! Lilly, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. The burns aren't bad...you'll just have to kiss it better.

* * *

**Lilly: YOU BURNT ME?!**

**Me: Yes. But Carley was the one who forgot to check to fucking thermometer, so put that knife down and go see a therapist.**

**Lilly: *slowly puts knife back into drawer and sits with her arms crossed, then glares at Carley***

**Carley: Wow. Way to put the blame on me there.**

**Me: YOU GUYS WRITE YOURSELVES! Not my fault!**

**Carley and Lilly together: Sure...**

**Me: Well at least you guys did things after that ;)**

**Carley: *blushes***

**Lilly: *smirks* Yep. Turns out Carley knows how to treat a patient.**

**Carley: *slaps Lilly on the arm and blush deepens* Stop it.**

**Alright! I went crazy with this. XD See you guys next chapter! **


	7. Bullshih

**First off, for the breed to make sense, 'Shih Zhu' is pronounced 'Shit Zoo'. **

**You can see my puns in here. Bulldog + Shih Zhu = Bullshih. Bullshit.**

**I don't own The Walking Dead. If I did there would be absolutely no straight couples at all (except maybe Omid and Christa, but Omids basically a girl anyways-**

**Omid: Hey! **

**Me: You should take that as a compliment, dude. Especially since your girlfriend is staring daggers at you right now.**

**Christa: *glare of death at Omid***

**Omid: Well, uh, thanks I guess.**

**Christa: *face returns to normal***

**Me: Alright, let's get the chapter started before someone dies! **

***screaming in background noise***

**Me: Dammit. Too late. ON WITH THE CHAPTER!)**

**Anyways, TO NARNIA! (I mean CarLilly...)**

* * *

It had been six months. The best (and most serious) relationship Carley had ever been in.

So it was only natural to want to get her girlfriend a great gift for their sixth month of dating, right? Six months was a very long time.

The bracelet Carley bought was simple, smooth and silver. Engraved in a fancy font on the front were the letters 'LEC'; Lilly's initials. As a small extra, Carley got 'My Ellie' etched lightly on the inside of the bracelet. She knew how much Lilly hated it when she called her that, but she was cute when she got mad.

Now the puppy? That one wasn't planned at all.

* * *

"You know he likes you more than me," Carley sighed dramatically a week later as the animal she adopted curled up into Lilly's side. They hadn't thought of a name yet, although Lilly had fallen into the habit of just calling him 'Dog'.

The reason Carley had chosen him was because of his breed. No, it had nothing to do with useful skills or anything, but when you breed a bulldog and a shih zhu together, what else would you expect to call it than a bullshih?

"That's not true," Lilly insisted, petting the dog's small head gently. She scooped him up in her arms, and placed him on Carley's lap. The small creature immediately stood on its tottering legs and stumbled on his short legs back towards Lilly, collapsing onto her hip like he was exhausted from walking that small distance from one side of the couch to the other.

Carley scoffed, "See? I don't understand his logic," and then she added with a sly grin, "You're not exactly the most likable person."

Lilly shot her an amused look that said _'Oh wow, thanks for that' _and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small chunk of what Carley guessed was beef jerky and held it daintily in front of the puppy's black nose. He snatched it and gobbled it down; Carley doubted he even tasted it, but it made him happy nonetheless.

"That's cheating!" Carley exclaimed jokingly, shoving Lilly in the shoulder lightly.

Lilly smiled and jammed a fist back into her pocket. She searched for a moment before she pulled out a handful of maybe seven bits of beef jerky. She held them out to Carley, the puppy staring at the hand with wide eyes. He was probably hoping he could make them spill into his jaws with his mind, but alas, no luck.

Carley took Lilly's offering, placed all of them into her pocket except one, and held the single one left out to the dog, who buried his nose into her palm and devoured the treat. He then glanced at Carly expectantly, wagging his curly tail furiously.

Carley gave a sideways look at Lilly, "You've been doing this all week, haven't you? Trying to make me jealous?"

"I don't know what you mean," Lilly smiled cleverly.

Carley snorted, "Smart-ass."

"Thanks. I love you too."


	8. Not So Fearless

**I hate spiders. So much. **

**I think I have turned into Lilly. :'l Oh no. Anyways, short one, but I hope you guys like it. :D**

**I do not own The Walking Dead.**

* * *

Goosebumps raised on Carley's body as another crack of thunder rolled through her apartment. She could almost feel it shaking her all the way through to her bones.

On nights like this, when she was a little girl, she used to go into her parents room in the middle of the night and sleep in their bed, snuggled under the covers between her two snoring parents.

Carley envied how Lilly was able to sleep through things like this. She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed gingerly and her breath deep and even despite the ragged explosions of thunder outside. Her soft hair, normally a dark brown, looked a raven black in the dark to Carley's adjusted eyes. It was splayed around her head in some sort of dark halo. Even in the brief flashes of light, her hair was still black during the night.

Lilly was so fearless; Carley felt bad for being jealous of that. Then another frightenening boom passed through the room, and Carley shivered. The sheets on their bed were cold against her skin, but Carley just wanted to be warm.

So she curled into Lilly's side, and placed her head onto her chest. The steady thumping of Lilly's heart against Carley's ear soothed her. Before she knew it, her eyelids were drooping and her breathing started to slow.

"Spiders terrify me."

Carly almost thought she had imagined Lilly whispering that into her ear, but when she looked up, she saw Lilly's deep brown eyes piercing into her own. Then reassuring arms wrapped themselves around Carley, and she didn't think she'd ever be cold again.

The sleep came comfortingly, tucked next to Lilly, Carley's head still where she could hear her heartbeat.


	9. Friends Have The Best Timing

**I just...I'm sorry I couldn't help myself. First part is _almost_ smut. I have no life.**

**I need a love life. DX This is what happens when I'm forever alone hehe...**

**Anyways, Christa is a little OOC since she's less of a secretive bitch. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for her, but she seemed cold to Clem after Omid died and I was like, "You give that hate-look to my baby again, bitch, you're gonna regret it."**

**Sorry for the late update. Just finished binge-watching Orange Is the New Black and recovering from the feels train.**

**Anyways, I don't own The Walking Dead game. If I did, Carley and Lilly would be a thing. I'd make it work somehow, I just would.**

* * *

Lilly ripped at the buttons of Carley's shirt, straddling her girlfriends hips.

"Lil! You can take it off, not destroy it," Carley grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it up and over her head, leaving her in just a black sports bra. The newly exposed skin was covered in goosebumps where Lilly trailed her pointer finger across Carley's tanned stomach.

"Borrowing my bras _without asking_, are you?" Lilly observed, then leaned down so she was nose-to-nose with the woman underneath her, her glare both mock-angry and incredibly sexy.

Carley blushed and fidgeted, before Lilly crashed her lips into hers. Despite how silky soft Lilly's lips were, the kiss itself was rough and passionate. Demanding, even.

Carley returned it with just as much enthusiasm. Her hands blindly made a dash for Lilly's tank-top, grasping desperately for the cloth that was separating her from Lilly's bare skin.

Lilly caught Carley's wrist, gripping hard enough to leave bruises. Not that Carley was complaining.

"I decide when I take off my shirt," she growled, then placed several kisses on Carley's jawline. After a few moments, Lilly yanked off her own shirt, having decided she had been teasing long enough. She then returned to the task at hand, Carley gripping at her hair and whimpering.

They didn't notice the door open.

"I knew it!" came a voice from the doorway.

Both Carley and Lilly's heads shot up from their spot on the couch, faces flushed.

A woman stood at the door with a smirk on her face.

"Christa?! What the hell are you doing here?" Carley exclaimed, mortified, as Lilly crawled off her. They both frantically threw their shirts onto their bodies. Though they were now fully clothed, both also wore expressions of terror, or in Lilly's case, contempt.

Christa strolled into the room like she owned it, "I found out about your promotion, so I came to say hi," she then glanced backwards, "Omid, Lee, and Molly are here too. Not sure what's taking them so long."

Carley just shook her head, still quite embarrassed, "I shouldn't have given you a copy of my room key," she muttered under her breath.

Christa just smiled, "Well, you did. Deal. Anyways, whose your friend?" she asked with a grin, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"I'm Lilly," Lilly introduced, less than warmly, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nice to meet you," Christa chided, and then heard footsteps from the hall, "Oh! They're here!"

She turned around right as three people - a blonde woman with chin-length hair held by pins and an orange jacket, a wide-eyed man with a crooked grin, and a man wearing a plaid shirt an jeans - entered the room, each with broad smiles.

"Hey!" the man in plaid greeted, giving Carley a bone-crushing hug. He had to bend down slightly to be at her height.

"Hey, Lee," Carley greeted after he had let her go and oxygen was able to make its way back into her lungs.

The blonde gave a slight nod and a grin as she entered the room.

The other man with wide eyes wrapped his arms around Christa's side, and then chuckled, "Long time, no see, Carls!"

Carley sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead, "Omid, I told you not to call me that. I hate it."

Lilly would remember this.

_Embarrassing nickname to retaliate with; check._

"So, uh, who is this?" Lee finally asked what everyone was wondering (except for Christa, of course), smiling at Lilly.

"This is Lilly," Carley introduced, then a bit more quietly and tentatively added, "My girlfriend," she bit her lip gently.

There was a moment before Molly strode towards Omid, lifting her hand with her palms up. She laughed as she curled her fingers at him, "I believe you owe me something? Something called twenty bucks?"

Omid sighed and dug into his pocket, "Dammit," he said as he pulled a crisp bill out of his wallet and shoved it into Molly's outstretched hand.

"Woah, woah. You guys were taking bets on my personal life?" Carley observed, drawing her eyebrows together very slightly so she looked troubled.

"It was pretty obvious to everyone, Carley," Molly smirked, "Well, except for you and Omid."

Omid shrugged, "As Lee's wingman, I had to keep hoping that he'd end up with you," cue an amused smirk, "But this is much, _much_ hotter."

Christa sent him a glare, which made him sputter.

"Not nearly as hot as you, of course," he managed, laughing nervously. Christa smiled, victorious.

"Anything _else_ new that you haven't told me about?" she asked, grinning as she folded her arms with a completely unconvincing stern look in her eyes.

Carley thought for a second before she clicked her tongue, thumb under her chin, "Just a second," she said before disappearing into her and Lilly's shared bedroom.

Christa wasted no time with her interrogation.

"How'd you meet her? Who made the first move? Were you her first? Woman, I mean," she blurted out, a surprisingly fast speaker, towards Lilly.

Lilly's eyes widened before she recovered, shooting back answers, "At a bar, me, and yes, as far as she's told me."

Christa grinned, "You know, I like you. Carley made a good choice for once," she then squinted, mulling something over, "How long have you two been dating?" she asked carefully.

"We've been dating almost eight months now."

Lee, who had been quiet for the last bit since Christa wouldn't pause to take a breath, smiled warmly, "That's great! She seems really happy."

It was then that Carley entered the room, puppy in hand. Lilly had put him in his kennel so that they could be alone for a bit, but apparently company had a way of finding them.

"This is our dog. Call him whatever you want, but if you name him some battle from the 1700's," she sent a meaningful look at Omid and Lee, "So help me, you will never get to see him again."

Lee chuckled, "Too late," he took the animal gently from Carley's arms, "Isn't that right, Oriskany? Or Trenton, or Ticonderoga, or-"

"Even though there _was_ a battle fought there, Ticonderoga was a fort, not a battle."

Lee looked at Lilly in surprise, "Looks like you bagged yourself a history buff!" he chuckled, giving a crooked smile that was meant to tease in Carley's direction.

Lilly fidgeted, "I'm not an expert, I just have a good memory," she insisted modestly (for once).

Carley raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, "If you have a good memory, why do you always forget to put the milk back in the fridge?"

Lilly pursed her lips, "Touché," she laughed, sitting herself down on the couch and crossing her legs on the table.

Christa had pulled out her phone a little while ago, which explained her silence, but after checking it she whispered something in Omid's ear urgently.

His wide eyes got wider, nervous and slightly excited, "Are you sure?"

Christa smiled shyly and nodded. Nobody else in the room noticed this conversation except for Lilly since Carley, Molly and Lee were chatting about something that Lilly hadn't caught. It was all background noise to her; she had always been good at focusing in on certain things at one time.

Which also may or may not help her blackmail some of her more rude co-workers that have some not-so-secret personal life stuff that would ruin them if it ever got out, but that's not relevant.

"We've got to go, guys," Christa announced as Omid squeezed her hand affectionately in his. They turned around and Omid gave a small, comical wave with his free hand and gave an expression that read, clearly, as '_haha suckers_'. The door closed dully behind them.

Molly laughed, "Finally, they're gone! I swear they've morphed into one body," she made a fake vomit sound, "Gushy couples annoy me."

She looked at Carley and Lilly, who were on the couch with Lilly's arm wrapped around her girlfriend's shoulders, "No offence," Molly said, but she was barely containing a chuckle.

Lilly scoffed, "Gushy? Fuck no."

Lee smiled at them, but sent a look at Molly, "Says the single girl."

Molly glared, "_Happily_ single, you best remember Lee. Don't think I forgot what happened on my birthday."

Lee blushed and was immediately silenced. Carley perked up at this, interested. Lilly could almost hear the curiosity turning in her head like cogs.

"What happened? I haven't been able to keep up with you people lately," Carley asked, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and both hands on the sides of her face, giving her an intense stance to match the way she was looking at Molly.

She was after information, like the good journalist she was.

"Nothing, just a drunk mistake," Molly shrugged it off like it was nothing.

Carley continued, demanding more information with her eyes alone.

Molly sighed in defeat, "He kissed me, stuff happened, no biggie," she responded calmly.

Carley's smirk was so patient and smug that it was almost infuriating.

Molly snorted, "That's all I'm giving you, nosy," she checked her watch, squinting, "Shit. I've gotta get home. Plus, I'm sure you two have some...things...to do when me and Lee leave," she winked as she stood up. She tugged on Lee's sleeve, "Come on, tough guy."

Lee followed as Molly pulled open the door, "Bye, guys. Have fun," Molly chided as she left the room and walked into the hallway. Lee grinned, "See you later," he said as he followed the blonde, closing the door behind him.

Lilly paused a few moments and watched as Carley stared after the door before she smiled deviously, "...so, Carls?"

Carley looked at her, realization dawning on her that Lilly knew the nickname that she despised with a passion.

"Shit."

* * *

**Molly's reaction though. XD Omid's up twenty bucks, and Lee got lucky with Molly-**

**Molly: No he didn't.**

**Me: Sure, sure.**

**Anyways, lots of drama. XD Not.**


End file.
